These are a few of my favorite things

Three things I noticed this week, some game changing, and some just plain beautiful. And a great call for submissions.

enjoy.

Pierre

1. Chatbots

'Chat bots are the new apps'. So what is a chatbot? They are basically glorified search engines, they have been around for more than a decade, but with Facebook launching their own this week, they will be the next big thing.So basically you can add a bot on your messenger app, and then you can talk to that bot about the weather, where to find restaurants, news, shopping, etc. The bot will also message you when it finds something you might like. Imagine it as Siri living in Whatsapp. Some of them are a bit spammy apparently, but that is sure to be sorted out quickly. Here is a good article on them for more info.

2. ​A New Wave: Call for Submissions

Southern Guild is calling for submissions of one-off, never-before-seen, collectible design pieces from South Africa’s new generation of designers. In the latter part of 2016, Southern Guild will show never-before-seen collectible design from South Africa’s best young designers in a show titled A New Wave. They are looking for new talent to be considered for this exhibition to be held in their Cape Town gallery in Woodstock, adding to the emerging design narrative in South Africa. Prized by collectors, these items increase in value over time as they are produced in small numbers and are not everyday production pieces.

3. The Art of Dambe - West African Boxing

Dambe, also known as Kokawa is a form of boxing associated with the Hausa people of West Africa. Historically, Dambe included a wrestling component, known as Kokawa, but today it is essentially a striking art.

These images are raw, primal, intense and beautiful. Imagine getting a shot to the jaw with one of those tied fists.